Dresden Files - Hotter Than The Barrel of a Squeezed Machine Gun OC
by ALostWinchester
Summary: (I just like that song) Set after Skin Game. Harry meets Kalina An, a girl he can have a successful relationship with. That's what we all want really isn't it? To wrap our legs around Harry and see him get laid while life goes on around him. Or is that just me? Oh well, I enjoy writing it so have a read :) MATURE READING
1. Chapter 1

Harry's hands were done exploring the space between my legs. His lips were through being flush against mine. His hips hovered with his hands on my hips, guiding me into a tease. His tip was moving over my wetness, making my muscles flare with anticipation. I begged: don't tease me, Harry. He just grinned at me knowingly, in no way heeding to my pleas. When he at last decided I had waited long enough he forced his way inside, deep inside and without mercy. I gasped and clutched at the bedsheets; I liked how he filled me. With his hands still on my hips he pulsed, drawing in and out of me at a steady pace. I moved with him: I couldn't help it. He let go of my hips and placed one arm on the head of the bed above me for support as the other arm slipped around me, bringing me to his chest and bettering the angle of his cock inside of me. I followed his rhythm until the room grew colder, even Harry's body became like ice. My breath came out in plumes of fog.

I like the cold.

His rhythm broke and he moved forward abruptly, pushing me flat against the headboard. His other hand gripped the headboard for support and to my surprise he began pounding me, something akin to pounding meat. I felt pain in my back, pain between my legs from the relentless parting of them, and I felt the anticipation of climax building deep between my thighs. His hand shot to the back of my head, gripping my hair and pulling it back a little. It sent me over the edge: a flash of anger and pain was drowned as every muscle in my body caught fire and I moaned loud beside his ear. I think he started making frightening noises of exertion himself, more animal than man and as I struggled to remain upright with him, he gripped both my upper arms instead.

"Fuck." I gasped, surprised how afraid and yet devilishly turned on I was.

He made a sound like 'gah' when he at last came and shuddered, still pulsing but a hell of a lot more weakly then he had been. Then he stopped and just panted with me. I hadn't exactly been physically exuberant but fear makes people pant - fact.

I met Dresden about twelve hours ago.


	2. Chapter 2

I waited by my car; it was a warm day and I can't stand to be trapped inside in the heat. I waited in the car park and watched people milling around, mums and dads meeting up, making plans, wishing well, dragging children around by heir hands or half heartedly telling them not to pull the school's flowers out of the ground. It was the beginning of the school day and I was picking someone up, not dripping them off.

I sensed them before I saw them; danger has a way of letting you know it's coming. At least it does for me, but as it turns out I'm pretty unique. I looked for them casually, my sunglasses hiding the direction of my eyes. Suits. Gills. And my wild imagination could envision them very comfortably with guns. One girl had caught my eye a couple of times through the mobs of people and cars at the start of the school day. Actually, the dog caught my attention: a huge fluffy thing I had to restrain myself from crooning over like a crazy dog-lady. The gilled-suits were making a b-line for her. That bad feeling in the back of my head grew, manifesting in my chest and stomach like a ball. I casually made my way to her and thank god I did. The dog made a rumbling sound, and I was suddenly aware how quiet this area of grass was. I kept going despite every flight instinct I had. I saw a name sewn into her backpack: Maggie. I repeated it over and over until it was familiar on my tongue. Intuition I suppose. The dog lunged one way and gunfire ensued. I caught a quick glance of it's teeth around someone's neck, it's back paws pinning another suit down. I quickly returned my attention to Maggie in time to see three suits come towards her as she watched the dog in paralysed fear. They didn't run, they practically strolled, so sure of their strategy.

So I flung a nice big spanner in the works.

I whispered _firecracker_ and flicked my wrist towards them, outstretching my fingers in a flowing motion. The suits were met with a shower of sparks from the ground up in a wave before them. They halted, lifted their arms up to shield their faces from the brightness of the sparks and I used this moment to position myself between them and Maggie. I don't run in bad situations: I walk briskly like I own the situation. It's a complete bluff but it's _my_ reaction to danger. Their suits had caught fire and their hands fell to pat out the flames. I immediately thought of making the flames grow but the mess that would make would scar the little girl for life. They were by a little patch of gardening and I hissed _grow _as I moved my arms outwards, conducting the plants forward. This was my most taxing of tricks and I felt my body sweat and weaken. I trembled but continued, entwining the suits and choking them to death. The stems pierced their throats and began blooming out of their mouths. I realised I was getting carried away and dropped my arms to my sides. They weren't going anywhere soon and I turned, expecting to see a crowd of spectators. Nothing. Not a soul. It was like there was an invisible wall between us all. The dog padded to the little girl and I looked to the mess it walked away from.

Ugly, gory and final, were three words that sprang to mind. I turned back to the girl as she wept into the dog's fur. I worried it would go for me until I looked at it's face. It's bloody mouth appeared to be smiling right at me as it with-stood the tears of a little girl. I approached cautiously, sure I had also frightened her, and I was a foot away when the dog barked. I spun around and a tall man, hard face, long and battered leather duster surrounding his shape, was walking forward quickly.

"Stay where you are." I barked at him, palm outstretched towards him in a 'stop' instruction. He slowed,

"That's my daughter."

"I said stop." But he didn't. He must have been expecting another trick. I was able to hook him with my right fist and send him a few steps back.

"Stop."

He rubbed his jaw and looked at me, annoyed and surprised. I turned to the little girl.

"Maggie," I barked and then realised I should soften, "please, who is this?"

She peered at me, then at him and threw herself towards him shouting, "Dad!"

I let her and I watched as he picked her up and held her like a relieved father. I felt my shoulders sag like a relieved bystander. He walked closer, the dog's tail gave me a dead leg while it passed, tail wagging, to its family. I kept looking around, as he approached me, at the people who had seen nothing.

"That's not a bad right hook." he said and I hesitated before looking into his eyes. Sometimes I hallucinate looking into people's eyes. As always, I looked away immediately to his eyebrows. If anyone asked I tended to say I was either autistic or suffering a squint. But I noticed him doing something similar. We didn't need to say anything about it to one another, people with similar ailments just _know_.

"Where did you learn all of that?"

"All of what?" I asked rather shortly - I was very unnerved by my new found invisibility, especially since it was shared.

"Magic?"

"Practice."

"With who?"

"Who are you? What is…" I didn't really know how to find the words, trailing off seemed to be enough.

"Harry Dresden." he paused significantly long enough for me to react as though I should know him, and carried on quick enough to catch me should I not know him. I didn't know him, "White Council Warden and Winter Knight of the Sidhe."

"Do you have a shorter name?"

"Harry. How do you know Maggie?"

"I don't." Sometimes I forget people don't know the whole story. He waited patiently for it. I got the feeling he wasn't used to being patient. "It's on her backpack."

"Who asked you to protect her?"

I scoffed, "Well you're welcome. Seeing as you're the big man around here who showed up late to the party, why don't you answer a couple of _my_ questions: first and foremost why has no one noticed the guys in suits with gills and guns? And why the hell do they want to attack your daughter?"

"I'm a dangerous man."

I didn't doubt it. "Do I look scared to you?"

He regarded me carefully, "What's your name?"  
"Kalina An."

He gulped, "After a gun?"

I was surprised, "You know guns?"

"What kind of woman has a gun for a name?"

"Army brat." I sighed. "So answer the questions."

"What do you know of magic?"

"Do you mean my tricks?"

"What do you know of the White Council?"

"Who?"

"The Fae?"

I just shrugged and shook my head for that one.

"We need to talk." he sighed.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic." I was being funny, you know, he's a frightening but attractive guy - tall pale and hansom - and I'm an attractive woman - short sallow and charming. Of course I was going to throw a little suggestive grenade in there. He went a little pale all of a sudden and stammered,

"Not that I -"

"Save it." I sighed with amusement and started to walk away. "I'll leave you to deal with all of," I indicated the general areas with a hand, "this. Where will I meet you and when? Phones don't really work for me."

"Six tonight, do you know McAnaly's pub?"

I started walking, "I'll find it."


	3. Chapter 3

I found Agatha looking for me. The crowd had significantly shrunk and she bounced over to me and hugged me close. "I never saw you!? How long have you been in the grass?"

"Only a second, some money flew out of my pocket and I chased it."

"Are you ready for our movie?"

"As ever."

Movie used to mean wine and popcorn on her couch in the evenings, occasionally with her niece whom she had just dropped off now. Then she got a boyfriend. Movie now meant the shopping cage (mall) which worked out better for me (her televisions didn't blow up when I walked by and I could be closer to the screen without being close to the projector). I didn't care how much snack-bar equipment the cinema went through so I could see a movie; with the prices they set, they could afford it.

We sat in the bar, by the window.

"You're distracted." she decided after she was done ranting about her saga fight with her boyfriend. I hate people who can't get along and also can't live without each other. But I loved Agatha and her patience. She didn't get mad when things went wrong around me, or when I had to make up bad excuses for weird things happening or when I disappeared. We were like personality and physical opposites. Agatha was classically beautiful, tall and slim with dyed blond hair that didn't match her darker eye brows. I on the other hand, was a couple inches shorter than average, slim but definitely curvy, with a beauty some might call 'full of character', which is a nice way of saying it isn't everyone's idea of beauty. Still, I turned heads just as well as she did so the playing field, when we're both in the game, was pretty level.

"I met a guy today. I'm meeting him later on," I saw her get excited. Why do people with boyfriends want everyone to have them? "but it's not a date. He's giving me some information. Still, he was hot in a scary kind of way."

"Since when did you use words like 'hot'?"

"Shut up. He has a daughter though."

"Where did you find that out?"

"I met him at the school."

"So you've already met his daughter: two birds and one stone."

"In a very awkward way I guess you have a point. It'll probably turn out to be nothing."

"Why not? Clearly, you want _something_."

"He'll have a girlfriend. Like you do."

"Men!"

I giggled.

"What did he look like?"

"Tall. Broad but not like a… not like that Bronson film. Broad and lean. He's older: you can see it in his face but his hair is blacker than the inside of a coffin."

"You can take the make-up off the goth…"

"Shut up."

"Maybe he's just led a hard life. Stress ages you."

"Maybe he's just better looking with age. Like Robert Downey Junior." I winked at Agatha. We disagreed on the attractiveness of most men - I liked them more rugged and she liked them more californian clean - except for Mr Downey Jr. She animatedly swooned for me and I barked out a laugh I'm sure was very unattractive and gained the attention of everyone who was in the cinema bar. Luckily, it was lat morning and hardly anyone was around.

"And the little girl, what was she like?" Agatha carried on. I hoped we were done with the subject of Harry Dresden Wizard of the… Harry Dresden, but apparently not.

"A lot like her father but she looks more Mediterranean than he does. Dark hair and a bag pack with 'Maggie' scribed on it."

"And a dog?"

"Big, lovely, fluffy dog." I said, going gooey in my heart even as I imagined the blood around its mouth.

"I know her. She has the dog around in school because of anxiety issues. We've never had a problem with it but I'm still weary."

I wasn't surprised to hear that. Any of that.

"Sounds like a catch."

"Fire in then, Lady."

"That was sarcasm: I'll rephrase: Sounds like a headache."

"Sounds like your type."

"Ouch."

"Burn bitch."

"Love you too."

She giggled this time. Our drinks were done, and it was time to watch the movie.


	4. Chapter 4

"Drink this." he advised as he sat before me. It was a brown bottle, unlabelled and very reminiscent of fishing trips in the autumn with my grandfather.

"Beer. Seriously?"

"Best you'll ever get."

"I prefer lager."

He took the bottle and moved it several inches closer to him. Once he let it go, I took it to my lips and swigged. It wasn't terrible.

"So when did you -"

"No, no, no, no, no." I skilfully interjected, "Nobody noticed my trick with the fire or with the plants. No one. They didn't hear a single gun shot or the earthquake rumbling out of your dog's chest and they didn't see what it did to those guys with its teeth. They didn't bat an eye. Those guys were in suits and were out of place - not to mention that they had gills which is even more out of place than suits in a playground -"

"You made flowers blossom out of those guys mouths!" he interrupted feverishly.

"Answer my goddamn fucking question." I barked. His eyes flickered to the barman. I didn't bother to check what kind of face my vulgar language had inspired him to pull, I kept my eyes on Harry.

"With magic." he explained, "My appr - ex-apprentice helped me out with that veil. That's what you call an invisible force that hides sights and sounds from view: a veil."

"And what were the gilled chauffeurs?"

"Fomor. A group of… gilled looking people who like guns and have been collecting information while taking over territory in Chicago."

I guess I was giving him a blank stare for him to add,

"Bad news."

"And what are you?"

"A wizard. Like you."

I laughed, hard. Clearly he wasn't used to the reaction. I calmed down as I realised how serious he was.

"You can't be serious right now."

He leaned forward, growing grave as he spoke: "You demonstrated some serious magical skill yesterday. Complicated stuff I haven't seen from anyone under 80. How old are you?"

"Twenty seven."

"Stars and stones." he sighed to himself. "How can you know nothing of the paranormal world around you - in Chicago of all places - and get that _good?"_

I almost blushed, "Do you mean the firecracker trick and the growing plants?"

"Exactly that. Do you have any idea the juice it takes to _grow_ something without even _touching it?"_

"I know damned well." I was starting to feel my ego inflating.

"Who has taught you all of this?" he was keen to know. My ego deflated quickly and I may have been a tad defensive when I answered,

"I taught myself."

"Impossible."

"You are the first person I have ever met to say anything about what I can do."

He regarded me for a long time before he asked, "When did it all start?"

"I was thirteen. I got all freaked out at first, because I froze a kid's finger off by accident - bullies, you know? - and I moved around so much because of my parent's being in the army that I was always an outsider. I had lots of time to practice in."

He studied me for an age. I avoided eye contact. I studied his skin instead. Scars upon scars.

"Look at me." he ordered.

"I'm looking right at you."

"No look deep into my eyes."

"I have autism-"

"No you don't."

I pursed my lips and leaned forward to hiss, "Listen, I hallucinate when I look into people's eyes for too long."

"That's called a soul gaze. It's no hallucination, just the reflection of who ever's eyes your looking into's true self."

"That doesn't exactly entice me."

"Kalina-An," he said my name in a soft way. I wondered what it would sound like in bed, "it is my job to soul gaze with you. I can help you - in fact I _have_ to help you - with everything you don't know that can go wrong with your power."

I leaned back, "I have managed twenty seven years on my own just fine."

He leaned forward, "If it comes to light that we have spoken and I did nothing to make sure you know what is out there, namely the laws of magic, I will have a hard time explaining that to some very important people when you make a mistake you won't know you have made until it's too late."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

He placed his hand over mine carefully as my hand hovered beside the bottle of beer. "This is in your best interest."

It wasn't his words that moved me, it was his proximity. My eyes locked onto his and the hallucination started. I was on an island, somewhere dark that had reclaimed itself from the clutches of civilisation. It was cold and damp here and I wanted to get out of there quickly. I watched Harry walk into a ruin of a house, at the foot of a tower where a fire burned brightly. I followed to the entrance to see him, lying wounded and almost naked on the floor by the fire, bandaged and staring over the fire intently. I looked to the wall he stared at. Photographs of people he clearly loved were all over it, layers over one another. I looked at him and he seemed happy to see them. I walked towards the wall to see closer but suddenly I was back in the pub, and he was looking away. I looked to the barman as he approached, two steak sandwiches in hand.

"What did you see?" I asked.

He smirked, "Just magic. A ton of magic. Nothing sinister."

"So will you tell me what you came here to tell me after all?"

He dug into the sandwich and I did too. I love food. This is why I will never be skinny.

"I am obliged to report you to the White Council as a wizard. Had your soul gaze revealed anything sinister I would have reported you as a warlock. I would probably have been expected to bring you in for persecution but as far as I can tell you've only ever killed the Fomor today. They can get killed. Kill as many as you like."

"Well thanks."

"I can't fathom how you have never come across anything paranormal." he explained to his sandwich. Great sandwich by the way.

"Believe it. What is it like for someone who is very much submerged in the paranormal?"

"Lively." he said, his words muffled by food. I got the feeling that was a polite way of saying what it was really like. Did I want to know? Could I go back no to blissful ignorance? I'm a carpenter for goodness sake - like my grandfather, in his shop up town. I didn't know if I could handle 'lively'.

"And what is it about you the Fomor are keen to thwart? I can't imagine you like the idea of your daughter being kidnapped." I asked despite myself.

"I intend to get the Fomor out of Chicago."

"You and what army?"

"I wiped out an entire court of vampires."

"Vampires?"

"Right, you're a know-nothing. There were three types of vampires: White Court, Black Court and Red court. Whites feed off the life-essence of people, usually with sex,"

"I like the sound of them already." What? He walked into it.

"They are master manipulators," he insisted, "much like everything else old and paranormal. Blacks-"

"Now you're just being racist."

"This is serious."

"I'll save the fun then." I smiled. He didn't catch on.

"Blacks live off of misery and grief. Reds lived off of blood. There are now only Blacks and Whites in existence."

I chewed on that for a bit. "What did you do?"

He hesitated and seemed to decide it as healthier to say it out loud than to not: "I sacrificed Maggie's mother to spread a curse to every Red Court vampire - and the people they had tried and failed to turn into one of them - that wiped them out."

I chewed on that too. "I'm assuming there is more to it than that."

"It was a bad time." he replied grimly to his near empty plate.

The mood was low, so I made a good decision: "More beer."


	5. Chapter 5

The beer loosened my tongue and stripped away his hard facade.

"So you can rip a hole in the fabric of reality and walk in from Chicago and walk out it Edinburgh?"

We were a little more than tipsy by this point.

"Yes I can."

"So why not just see the world? Just wake up 'nd decide to _go._"

"I've never had time." he sighed. "Now when I do have time I want to spend it with my friends and my daughter."

"Do you have time to make a new friend?" I ventured. He was kidding when he seethed and said,

"I'm a popular man."

"Do you have time for a little more than coffee in my apartment?"

I liked the way I managed it: I asked if he had _time_ as a guise for the word _interest_. This time he got the hint. He looked shocked for the briefest of moments before abruptly standing and holding out his hand to me,

"Lead the way."

And that's how I ended up lying next to him after a frighteningly exhilarating sexual experience, panting ice.

"What's with the ice?" I asked.

"Winter, mantel." he answered before muttering something. I'm sure it was the six times tables.

"That Faerie thing you have going on?"

"Yes," we stopped being able to see our breath, "that."

"You went cold before."

"I… I should go." he seemed exasperated and I did not want the night to end there. Had I said something wrong? Could I say anything right to get him to stay?

"Don't leave." I suggested softly. He started puling his clothes towards him from the floor.

"I shouldn't have come back here, I could have killed you! This was a mistake."

"It's a mistake I'm not finished making, now don't leave."

He looked at me with surprise on his face. Hell, I was surprised! I moved from the bed and kissed him hard on the mouth. He responded immediately, his sex rising, his teeth nibbling my lower lip, and as his hands slipped around my naked body, I walked him backwards to the bed until he sat down. It was stumbling at best but we got there, giggling off the clumsiness between ourselves. I kneeled between his legs and he protested, _you don't have to -_

"You don't have a say in it." I told him and took him into my mouth. I shivered all over and he leaned back onto his elbows. His legs were so long I could only get my arms around them by going under them, holding myself up. I sucked and licked, and danced an erotic dance over his flesh, still able to smell the sex we had had earlier on his skin. I thought of his mouth between my legs, swarming over my lips, making me ache for the sensation of his cock inside of me. I was practically drooling at the thought, and he gasped, the wetness of my mouth making his elbows buckle. He lay back completely and called out my name, _Kalina,_ and the muscles between my legs pined. I got my hand beneath me, slid two fingers restlessly inside and took as much of Harry Dresden as I could into my mouth. Deeply he went, almost enough to choke me, and deep my fingers went. I imitated the motions I needed from my hands over his cock. He tensed and shivered, moaned and said my name again and again. The room grew cold once more and my nipples were hard as rocks, and sensitive.

He snarled as he sat up, pushing me to my floor as he crawled over me, casting my fingers inside of me aside to replace them with two of his own as he kissed my ear, knowing by now the sounds of his moaning and breathing sent signals firing down my spine. His chest grazed my nipples and I moaned, each graze increasing the sensation between my legs. His free hand found my breast and as he kneaded it he noticed how much I liked it. He took my nipple in his mouth, slowing his finger movements, looked me in the eye as he sucked and teased it with his lips. I lay back, letting my hands fall above my head and that's when his hands moved around my chest. His cock slammed into me, deeper than I had yet known it to (or could remember) and my hands were suddenly behind his neck.

"Harry!" I whispered in shock, completely happy as he thrust into me. He wasn't getting me anywhere though. I needed to move. I pulled his arm from under him and rolled so I was on top of him. I laughed at his surprise, and as I sat on top of him he slowed, taking me in with his eyes. I leaned forward, placing my hands either side of his head as I rolled my hips against him.

"Yes." I hissed, and he moved to better my rolls, thrusting a handful of times before he pressed me to him, lifted us both off the ground and back onto the bad. I remained on top and I found a faster rhythm, the pressure between my legs building to climax.

"Hells bells." he said, and I giggled, making him say it once more and then he came. I remained unsatisfied.

Most men wouldn't do what he did then and in hindsight I'm not sure how I feel it. Harry and I shared a night you share with someone maybe once in a lifetime: stamina becomes unquestionable. Desire becomes all important and sex rules over every worry you have.

His hand slipped into me again, more fingers this time, three maybe four maximum. I tried to protest, _you don't have to -_

But his mouth was over my erect nipple, and his hand was moving so fast. I was helpless. I came in a messy fashion, with an orgasm that lasted longer than most I had ever experience burning through me.

He stopped when I rolled next to him, at a right angle to where I normally lie, forming a new wet patch as I lay there. He panted a few times and fell asleep. I intended to shower only to find myself unconscious.

I woke up during the night in need of a drink. I padded naked to the sink and filled the glass from the tap. I heard him coming behind me, and I welcomed his form pressed against the back of mine, erection and all. I leaned forward and it slipped easily in.

"You are an animal, Kalina An."

"Just fuck me, Dresden."

He obliged, bruising my hips as they beat against the counter as he forced himself in and out of me. His hand slipped around me, over my breast and the other later slipped around me to my clit. I was about to come when he pulled out, spun me round and lifted me to the counter. I wasn't fully on and almost slid back when he kneeled, goths his hands on my knees, forcing me wide apart. His tongue flicked over me for half a minute and I came, hard, less messily.

He took me by the hand back to my room and pinned me to the wall, a foot from my bed. He lifted my leg around him as we kissed, my foot quickly made connection to the bed frame and when he slid me up the wall to fuck me standing, I balanced myself against the wall with my shoulders and my foot on the wall as best I could. He thrust against me with his whole body, gaining depth I had never known before (having never ventured far from horizontal positions). When I came, so did he and he leaned into me to laugh weakly at three rounds of sex before sunlight.

I stripped my bed before we got into it to sleep properly.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with his head between my legs. It was the licking and teasing that pulled me from slumber and it was a gentle pull, I didn't quite realise I was awake straight away. He climbed over me, nudging my legs around his hips, slipping inside of me easily and whispering _good morning_ into my ear as he thrust against me. I could only gasp and moan, my head deep into my pillow, my hands gripping the skin of his sides limply, my muscles still not aware I was yet awake.

His thrusts were constant and I arched my back as the pressure built, gasping _yes_ as he went until my entire body shuddered, alight with ecstasy. He kept pace and I rolled through this long orgasm until it drew him to the edge and pushed him over it. He kissed my forehead and nose as we relaxed.

When something is good, you try to get as much out of it as you can, while you can. That's exactly what we did do. For the first two months it was just sex - I wasn't in a relationship, I was satisfied. Then we spent more time in the pub than having sex, talking and laughing and teasing each other. I realised we were _Together_ when he took a deep breath before saying,

"Maggie has been asking for you."

I nearly choked on my beer. "Me?"

"She remembers what you did for her. And when she has asked me where I've been I've said I was with you."

He looked nervous.

"What did you tell about what we have been doing together?"

He coughed, "Just vague half truths. She, um, wanted me to ask you to come with us to the zoo. Actually, she made me promise to. You don't have to - you can so no, it's just-"

"Okay."

He looked me dead in the eyes, disbelief and hope etched over his face. "Okay?"

I tried not to look as terrified as I felt. "Okay."

And then I was at Agatha's door.

"He's asked me to go to the zoo with his kid. Can I do that? Should I subject anyone to that? I mean, I've just been fucking the guy's brains out, surely he doesn't want me to be some kind of mother figure to this…"

"Hi Kalina. Come on in." she said over me, ushering me in as I rambled on. "I'll fix you a coffee. Sack that, you can have a hot chocolate. That'll slow you down."

I kept talking until I was at her dining table, seated, with my head on the table and tears in my eyes. I heard the mug being set in front of me. Agatha sat before me and said,

"Man up."

I lifted my head.

"Oh shit, you're really fucked up over this."

I nodded. She reached over and lightly slapped me.

"Man up."

I felt less upset and more angry.

"You are twenty seven years old. The majority of the people in your year at school are married and have kids, yet here you are crying about being a friend to a little girl."

"You're right." I sipped the hot chocolate. By the time I set it on the table though, my eyes were screwed up and tearing again. "But why do I feel like it's wrong of me."

She really slapped me this time.

"You're right." I agreed, "I need to pull myself together."

"Thank you. Now Kalina, if I heard right, it's just the zoo. You are hands down capable of being the most childish person I know. You will get on fine with any kid at any zoo. Just be yourself."

"He doesn't know me as myself though. He knows me as this slutty sex addict he can convince into bed with a shove -"

She shook her head with her eyes closed, "I don't want to know. The kid doesn't want to know. And if that is true, he wants to get to know you better. Hell, he even has faith you are a good enough human being to be around his only daughter. A traumatised daughter at that. You're going in the right direction Kalina!"

"I am?" I wasn't convinced.

"Yes! A man! Who wants you! Who needs you to get along with his kid! He wants you in his life. That is why people spend obscene amounts of money on beauty products and clothes more expensive than what they are made of. You haven't even bothered and you beat them all to it!"

I laughed.

"There. Isn't that better? Relax, Kalina, he's not asking you to _have_ his baby, just to _get along _with his baby who thankfully is not a baby. She can communicate her needs and take care of herself well enough! You don't need to hold her hand."

I sighed. I felt the weight of my own anxiety slide off of me at last.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Where's your other half?"

I suddenly noticed the dishevelled hair, the mismatching jeans and his denim shirt, and the suddenly apparent lack of bra. I pursed my lips. Nodded,

"I should go."

Agatha played with her hair, not looking at me, saying, "Yeah, I won't keep you here, you can uh…"

I was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

We stood outside the place Maggie lived. Harry explained on the way that, living on Demonreach wasn't in Maggie's best interest so she remained with his friends and he saw her as often as humanly possible. I felt immediately guilty for taking up time he could have spent with her, but he assured me all of that was after her bed time. Now that was somewhat creepy. He new it too but we mutually and silently agreed not to comment on the weirdness. It passed by.

Harry took my hand as we entered the gate to Maggie's garden and made our way to the door. I heard commotion inside. The sounds of a full house on a Sunday mid-morning. Harry chapped the door before letting himself in and calling for various people. I followed a few paces behind him, taking in the mess, the love, the noise and the smells. I was always jealous of the kids whose houses I visited. They always had brothers and sisters, dogs and cats. I was an only child. We moved around too often to be anything but cruel to a pet no matter how much I would have walked it and trained it. Thank goodness for my tricks or I would have been very bored growing up.

Harry stood with who I could only guess as Mrs Carpenter. She was a beautiful but lean woman, passing him a little bag reading Maggie as she continued to fill it with snacks. She caught my gaze and I shifted to looking at her lips.

"You must be Harry's friend. I'm Charity Carpenter."

We shook hands as I added, "Kalina An."

"Dad!" I heard alongside a _woof!_ I watched Maggie run to Harry, the dog hot on her heels, and Harry bent to greet her with a cuddle. The dog waited patiently for its turn and Maggie eyed me with a sweet smile as she asked Charity several whispered questions Charity listened to and answered them patiently. The dog was before me before I knew it. Barking with a tail wag and a grin. I held out my hand, knuckles up expecting it to sniff me for approval. Instead it ducked beneath my hand, making me clap the length of it's head before it sat almost on my foot. I gave in against my restraint and clapped it with both hands. Its tail thumped loudly and it slid to lie on the floor on its side. It rolled its head and pined before rolling onto its back and I heard the distinct sound of a child heartily giggling.

"Good." a new voice commented. "Mouse likes her."

"Kalina," Harry began, "this is my ex-apprentice, Molly."

She was beautiful. About my age, I was sure, with a shock of long white hair. She looked like Charity. I guessed she was her daughter. We shook hands and did not stare into each others eyes. She was like Harry. And yet my instinct told me she was very different too. I just felt like I had to be careful.

"Lets go!" Maggie sang with an overabundance of exasperation for a child. Everyone smiled, happy to see her lively and eager.

"I want her back by four." Charity called and again I followed Harry through the house doors, a little behind him.

"…I want Mouse to come though." Maggie pined, straining to be grumpy through her excitement.

"He can't come to the zoo." Harry repeated.

"Why not? It's for animals."

"He will make the other animals jealous." I said loudly, coming to join them, making a line of us instead of a triangle. She looked to me and asked why so plainly. "They live in cages and glass swimming pools. Mouse gets to walk around with you. If we take him, then all the animals will want to walk around with you! We don't have enough arms to get _all_ of them onto leads."

Oh how naive I was. From there, into Harry's new-old car, to the Chicago Zoo, Maggie invented a tremendous amount of ways to make it possible to walk every animal in the zoo. Most of them involved octopuses and some of them sounded too much like chain gangs for me to feel comfortable with. Still it kept her talking. Harry took my hand in the car, and I suppose that left an impression on Maggie because the moment she got out of the rickety old thing, she grabbed both of our hands and pulled us forward.

Harry and I were seated on the side of the seal enclosure, watching Maggie dart around between parrots and penguins and turtles.

"She amazes me." Harry said. "After all the things just being my daughter has forced her to see, she's still able to be a kid. She even held your hand."

"She's imaginative." I smiled. "I mean that as a compliment."

"I sometimes wonder if I have had anything to do with how she is… the way she is."

He seemed a little glum amidst his gratefulness to be with her. I nudged him.

"All a girl needs to know is that her dad loves her and would be there for her in a heartbeat if she really needed her."

He met my gaze and I continued, feeling comfortable enough to let him see a little more of me.

"My mum and dad were both in the army. Sometimes I would see one more than the other, and sometimes I wouldn't see either of them for a long time. Now, when we talk I see how it tortured them; worrying about how their lives might have ruined mine but… They loved me. When I broke my leg they flew from Burma to New Orleans, just because I had broken my leg. When I broke up with my first boyfriend my mum flew me to Afghanistan to set me up with every nice boy she could get her hands on."

He laughed.

"And my dad would drop whatever he was doing to talk to me on the phone when I called. Still does. Look at her; she knows damn well if she call you'll come running."

He hugged me then, one armed because we were sitting side by side and I felt like I had made an impact on him. It was nice. Maggie crashed the party.

"Do you two love each other?"

"Kelpies." I blurted before we could have that desperately awkward moment. The both looked at me like I was crazy. "I've been waiting to tell you about Kelpies, Maggie. Have you heard of them before?"

"No. What are they?"

"Magical creatures, all the way from Scotland."

She looked to her dad, "Like Mouse?"

"Mouse is from Asia."

"How much did he cost you?" I commented.

"Tell me about the Kelpies." Maggie demanded before Harry could answer me.

I twisted to the seals and Maggie stood on the ledge I sat on next to me. I found my hand making its way to her back, in case she fell. I guess I wasn't a terrible human being after all.

"Kelpies were seals when they lived in the water, and when they came onto the beach they would shed their seal skin, hide it, and go on land as men and woman, in search of love. Sometimes though, the people they loved, loved them so much back that they would steal their skin and hide it from them so they could never go back to the sea again."

"Why would they want to go back to the sea if they were in love?"

"Kelpies are magical animals, and they can hear the ocean pulling them back towards it all of the time. They fall in love, raise their families, but they need the sea: it's their home."

"Like my dad on the island?"

"Something like that." Harry said, now standing beside Maggie, staring at the seals with the same wonderment she did.

"So," I said, standing too and perking the mood up, "which one do you think is a Kelpie in there?"

Maggie laughed as though that was ludicrous and humoured me with an answer.


	8. Chapter 8

p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"I got a bear hug when we returned her home from Maggie. Charity even gave me a brief embrace and I met Michael, a man I wouldn't cross even with his walking stick, although it was hard to get used to such a warm smile and welcoming nature on someone so… butch. Harry had his arm over my shoulders when we returned to the car and I felt exceedingly pleased with myself for it./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"We walked through Chicago, in search of somewhere to sit down and share a meal that wouldn't break our banks to do so in./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Harry!"/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"His head whipped around and I thought he might punch someone. All for hearing his name called in the street. I was pulled into the arms of someone, into a waltz. He was dazzling. Yes, that's right, I said dazzling. Pale, strong, black ringlets to his shoulders, impeccable dancer as far as I could tell, wearing head to toe white leather. Ew. He let me go when the ice I started to exude started to burn his flesh./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"Harry laughed when he let me go. I kept my eyes on this stranger. I felt more at ease when Harry embraced him heartily./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Thomas! This is Kalina An, Kalina this is my brother."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Half brother."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Older brother."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""And this is the love of my life, Justine."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"I noted Harry's unease where Thomas' somewhat drugged-like behaviour became apparent. It flew to the back of my mind when I saw her. She was delicate, petite, inviting and stunning, in a skin tight, grey catsuit and impossibly high high heels. She was so graceful as she took my hand politely./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""She burned me, Harry, is she one of your Winter Fae?" Thomas asked conversationally. I was aware we were holding up traffic in the street./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Hells bells, no." Harry said./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""You're a … I'll say supernatural, huh?" I managed, directing it to Thomas. He smirked and leaned forward,/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""I'm a vampire. Justine is not."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""White court." Harry added uncomfortably./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""And you are?" Thomas enquired./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Full of tricks." I ginned. He and Justine seemed curious./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""I think I like her. Come with us Harry, I'll treat you to something better than Mac's ale."/span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Impossible." Harry smiled at me./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Come with us, Harry, we haven't seen you in so long." Justine pleaded politely./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""Where can you take us we wont get attacked?" Harry asked, even though Thomas was guiding him the way we had come, and Justine was taking my arm in hers behind them./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica;"span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px""What's he talking about?" I asked her. She simply smiled./span/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px;" /p 


	9. Chapter 9

I blasted my way out of the ladies' with fire to be greeted with more pissed off vampires. I sulked briefly before conjuring a ring of fire and sending it forth - hell mend anyone who got in it's way - and ducked, sending out spirals of ice at a 45 degree angle, skewering every vampire as they missed the fire with their super speed. It took a lot of concentration but in case any over them were still kicking at me, I flipped my perception of gravity onto its head. I ran over the ceiling and when Harry's voice boomed, _GET DOWN, _I hit the real floor hard enough to crack it. That's an exaggeration. All the same I stayed still as the ceiling fell around me.

I knew it was all over when Thomas sighed,

"I can't take you anywhere."

I was in a whirlwind of meeting people. My shower was my only sanctuary while I prepared to meet another one of Harry's friends. His name was Butters and despite my bruised ribcage I still laughed so hard at his name. A girl names Andi was with him when he arrived, and Harry was ready for him on my dining table to have a couple of bullets pulled out of his bicep. Butters was cute, even though he was older than me and smarter than me, that's what he was. A cute little nerd with a scalpel.

He shook my hand with a firm grip and fired some instructions at me for boiled water and fresh towels. Andi recognised the look of confusion on my face and said,

"Come on, I'll help."

I followed her lead. In my own apartment…

We sat in my living room at last, the night slowly becoming morning, as Butters and Harry swapped stories only Andi seemed to follow. I couldn't believe all the things he had been through. I couldn't fathom the things he had survived never mind the monsters he had faced. An anxiety attack crept up on me and I curled up in my bathroom and tried to remember how to breathe.

I heard goodbyes and my front door locking. Harry's knuckles rapped the bathroom door. I couldn't answer.

"I'll kick it down." he said calmly. I got up and opened it before going to the toilet seat, sitting on the lid and sticking my head between my knees. He kneeled in front of me and took my hands.

"You okay?"

"So much… in one day… panic attack."

He disappeared and reappeared with icy cold water. My tap doesn't give icy cold. Harry's hands do.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry was gone for a couple of weeks. I thought I would forget about him but damn, I actually missed him. Not just the sex - although I could barely sit still in my own bed - but _him._ Maggie made a point of coming to see me when I picked up Agatha from work a couple of times, giving me pictures and making me promise to take her to the beach in search of Kelpies in the playground. How could I say no? How many kids like Kelpies as much as I do?

I wasn't used to this. Most of my relationships were like a firework: spectacular in one way or another for a brief and dazzling moment, then lifeless and plummeting to the earth to lie as waste. I'm no psychologist but I think it has something to do with the amount of time I spent alone, moving from place to place. If I have a long enough time period spent away from someone, I re-learn to live without them. Then the spark is gone and I end up breaking their hearts.

Charmer, ain't I?

I kept expecting the feeling to _go away_ but it never did. I guess this time I really didn't want it to. Excuse me while I take a moment to admire my personal growth.

My door knocked as soon as I sat down from getting home from work. I needed a shower, I was covered in wood dust and I was so physically exhausted I almost cried at having to get up again. It was Thomas. I invited him inside.

"I don't want to keep you long. I'm just going to visit Harry in a couple of days and I thought you might want to come with me."

"I'll clear my calendar." I replied cooly while inside I did backflips. He smiled and reached into his pocket, producing a business card as he said,

"Great. I'll meet you here, at the time I've scribbled there, in a couple of days. Bring camping gear and some food if you know what's good for you."

He smiled, and I felt the draw to White Court Vampires Harry had told me about lingering in the air, before he left for the door. I closed it behind him with a polite, _see you soon_ and slung myself onto my couch. I was still smelly, sweaty, and exhausted but I was over the moon thinking about seeing Harry.

Washed, glass of whiskey in hand, an aromatic candle on next to me, my book in hand as I sat on my couch, feet up, I was in heaven. Then the damn phone rang. I hoped the disposition of all technology to blink out on me would cut the phone off before I reached it but, no such luck.

"Hello?"

"Kalina?"

"Kalina An, yes, who is speaking?"

"It's Charity. Maggie wont stop asking for you and since Harry isn't around I wondered if you would indulge her latest obsession with Kelpies."

"Sorry about that."

"You won't take her?"

"I meant I'm sorry for telling her about Kelpies, of course I'll take her. Does anyone else want to come?"

"No doubt but I think the whole clan will be a bit much for you alone - we're going to a church barbecue anyway. Maggie was supposed to come but she wants to have you to herself so she came up with is idea and hasn't stopped begging since."

"That's sweet of her."

"You haven't suffered her tantrum."

"When is it?"

"Next Sunday. Oh and you should take Mouse with you."

Oh hell yes. "No problem. I'll put it in my diary."

"Good. I'll tell her when she deserves a reward, if I tell her too soon she wont stop talking about it."

"Goodbye Charity."

"Thank you Kalina An."

I hung up. When I returned to the couch I didn't pick up my book: I was thinking of Agatha. She loved her man's family. She saw them what seemed like all of the time, and talked to them on the phone and over the internet and I was always happy for her but I just couldn't imagine what it must have been like. I was never with anyone long enough to really become part of the family. And I had had two calls in one night from Harry's. I just sat still, letting that sink in.


	11. Chapter 11

I was ill on that boat. The only respite lay in sitting on the floor, my feet dangling off the edge, holding onto the rail incase a sudden jerk tried to throw me off. Thomas was busy steering, so in my illness I was glad not to have to speak to him.

It was a wobbly descent off the boat to the Watsup Dock for me. Harry embraced his brother warmly before coming to take my bags off me and help me find my feet. He kissed me and I tried to pretend I wasn't ready to heave. He led the way and I recognised the path we took - I had seen it in Harry's soul. I recognised the tower and the building built onto it. It looked sturdier and must have been repaired. No pictures were on the wall though. I wondered when Harry's birthday was: I knew what to do for it when it came.

Thomas had brought a five star gourmet meal with him, which was prepared while Harry took advantage of the shower and razor in Thomas' boat. I wanted them to catch up: Thomas planned on going back before night and would come back for me in three days. I was cutting it short for seeing Maggie in, returning hours before our beach date, but I was confident it would be done. While Thomas prepared food and Harry cleaned up while he had the chance, I started walking around Demonreach.

I felt an almost overpowering sense of unwelcome but it was so beautiful that I couldn't resist exploring. I crawled over the forestry, ignored the insects that passed over my skin now and then, and just took in the majesty only nature is capable of. I made buds bloom to see what they would look like because I didn't recognise them. I watched starlings as they swooped excitingly close to me and I was rudely interrupted from spotting a deer by Harry's mass thumping into me and sending us both sprawling to the ground. He got up faster than I could follow him and I could only find him when he started speaking.

"She is a guest." he insisted. I was standing now, trying to assess the damage to my body. Scratches and aches, nothing I couldn't handle.

"She will learn in her own time." he said before pausing. I saw what he was looking at. What I first thought was a mountain became clearer to me as I emerged from the trees as a man of some description. Wrapped in a brown cloak, glowing green orbs where eyes would be among blackness where a face should have been. It's limbs were trees and I couldn't get my jaw to close.

"In _time_ Alfred." Harry insisted and it began to walk away. I felt the ground tremble. Harry hurried to me, his hands on my arms, his eyes searching me for damage.

"Are you okay?"

"You were talking to, to _that_."

"Kalina, are you okay?"

"What was that?"

"Kalina!" he barked and I realised I was looking through him to where it had been and not at him. I looked at him as he asked slowly, "Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. He took me into a bone crushing hug I returned, feeling upset prickle the back of my eyes. I was in a little bit of shock, I guessed. He let me go and promised to explain after we had eaten. I followed him through the woodland, tripping behind him, making him laugh as his giant clown feet fell effortlessly into place. I sort of hated him a little bit then.


	12. Chapter 12

"Yes!" I shouted from behind my first successful shield, two days later. I was bruised from rough sex and failed attempts at shields as Harry threw rocks at me, teaching me how to raise a shield. My shield was only successful now because I had decided to lace it with ice: something I was familiar with, and he shouted over at me,

"That's cheating!"

"Is it working?"

He tossed several more rocks several times harder than he had been doing. None of them broke through.

"Then it's not cheating!" I said before falling back to the ground, mentally, magically, and physically drained, but proud to have learned a new trick. There were several rocks around me now, and I was feeling elated and playful. I gathered my will around them all, seeing them shudder. I stood up and called to Harry,

"My turn!"

He looked alarmed when the rocks jumped three feet from the ground upwards before soaring towards him, a couple at a time. They shattered on impact with his shield, casting blue-white glowing ripples over him in a quarter dome. When there were no rocks left he called to me, smiling,

"You've had it."

"Bring it on!" I said, knowing he wouldn't really hurt me.

"Fuego!" he boomed and fire came at me in a lance. I grinned, at least I was used to fire. As it approached I bent my knees, and my hands were poised and ready to catch. I caught the lance, twirled with its momentum and halved it in my hands, creating two balls. I fired both one after the other at him and he sent a small hurricane after both. Now that was something I had never thought of doing before. I'd pulled clouds apart, sure, creating shapes to pass an afternoon with, I had even sent rain down as far as I could see, but that was manipulation, not creation. Harry had _created_ a hurricane. It spiralled into the distance with a splash into the water.

"Infriga!" he called and I snapped out of my awe long enough to send a shield in font of me. The ice he sent along the ground arced away from me, along me own shield. Harry looked distant all of a sudden.

"Thomas is here for you!" he shouted. I was disappointed. Alas, I had to go and see my friend Maggie.

"Give her a hug for me." Harry asked as he hugged me goodbye.

"Give her a hug yourself, don't stay out here too long."

He kissed me and I departed with Thomas.

"Do you want a sick bag this time?" Thomas asked playfully as he pulled away. I was stood next to him as he reversed, waving to Harry sadly.

"No thanks." I sighed, not looking forward to the journey at all.


	13. Chapter 13

"Yes!" I shouted from behind my first successful shield, two days later. I was bruised from rough sex and failed attempts at shields as Harry threw rocks at me, teaching me how to raise a shield. My shield was only successful now because I had decided to lace it with ice: something I was familiar with, and he shouted over at me,

"That's cheating!"

"Is it working?"

He tossed several more rocks several times harder than he had been doing. None of them broke through.

"Then it's not cheating!" I said before falling back to the ground, mentally, magically, and physically drained, but proud to have learned a new trick. There were several rocks around me now, and I was feeling elated and playful. I gathered my will around them all, seeing them shudder. I stood up and called to Harry,

"My turn!"

He looked alarmed when the rocks jumped three feet from the ground upwards before soaring towards him, a couple at a time. They shattered on impact with his shield, casting blue-white glowing ripples over him in a quarter dome. When there were no rocks left he called to me, smiling,

"You've had it."

"Bring it on!" I said, knowing he wouldn't really hurt me.

"Fuego!" he boomed and fire came at me in a lance. I grinned, at least I was used to fire. As it approached I bent my knees, and my hands were poised and ready to catch. I caught the lance, twirled with its momentum and halved it in my hands, creating two balls. I fired both one after the other at him and he sent a small hurricane after both. Now that was something I had never thought of doing before. I'd pulled clouds apart, sure, creating shapes to pass an afternoon with, I had even sent rain down as far as I could see, but that was manipulation, not creation. Harry had _created_ a hurricane. It spiralled into the distance with a splash into the water.

"Infriga!" he called and I snapped out of my awe long enough to send a shield in font of me. The ice he sent along the ground arced away from me, along me own shield. Harry looked distant all of a sudden.

"Thomas is here for you!" he shouted. I was disappointed. Alas, I had to go and see my friend Maggie.

"Give her a hug for me." Harry asked as he hugged me goodbye.

"Give her a hug yourself, don't stay out here too long."

He kissed me and I departed with Thomas.

"Do you want a sick bag this time?" Thomas asked playfully as he pulled away. I was stood next to him as he reversed, waving to Harry sadly.

"No thanks." I sighed, not looking forward to the journey at all.


	14. Chapter 14

Land was in view and my stomach felt like a bee hive. I didn't even finish saying _hallelujah_ when the boat jerked, throwing me towards the sea. I held on successfully enough, even as a car backfired in the distance. And another. And some more. It took time to distinguish the sound as bullets and the water suddenly looked very appealing and safe. I let go and started swimming, only for something large and solid to follow me into the sea and hit me so hard I blacked out.

HARRY'S P.O.V.

I walked with Thomas to the reception of the hospital briskly, ignoring every detail that passed me by. I was intent on finding Kalina. For all I knew she was dead. By the time the ambulance and the police arrived, Thomas had fished Kalina from the water, and he flagged a paramedic to her before hi-jacking a jet ski and powering his way back to Demonreach. I left immediately, slightly emasculated as I clutched his waist over the water, and Thomas took his car at illegal speeds through Chicago to the hospital we could only guess Kalina was in.

The nurse typed in the computer for information and I edged away in case it stopped working.

"Who are you to the patient?" she asked, not looking me in the eye, but scrolling down a list of some kind.

"We're together." I said, urgency breaking through the calm I was pretending to have.

"You're a couple?" she clarified.

"Yes."

"You're going to want to speak to the doctor before you see her. I'll call him and tell him to meet you at the stairs. If you could make your way up to level two please."

I barely let her finish her sentence before I moved away from the desk, Thomas hot on my heels.

"Where is she?" he asked,

"Second floor." I supplied sharply.

The doctor was waiting alright. He was hansom, greying brown hair with no definition beneath the scrubs and lab coat.

"Are you here to see Kalina An Botton?"

Botton? "Yes."

"Which of you is the boyfriend?"

Thomas pointed to me in answer.

"Could we speak -" his pager began beeping and he looked down. He put his arm around me without touching me, guiding me into the second floor, past the beds and staff as he started to speak, "I'll make this quick. Kalina had a lot of water in her lungs when we found her. We're pumping her stomach of the water she swallowed in case of bacterial infection, but she's stable. As for the baby, it was touch and go for a little while earlier, but all seems well now. If you'll excuse me she is just that second last bed on the right here."

And then he was gone.

_As for the baby._

My heart felt like it just stopped. Was it happening all over again? Was I going to father someone and never know until years later? Maybe she hadn't gotten around to telling me. Impossible: she had been with me for three days in total isolation. My blood absolutely boiled. Thomas' hands were on my shoulders,

"Calm down Harry - Harry!"

I was off, making long strides to get to her. I pulled the curtain away and barked, "How could you keep something like that from me?!"

She was sleeping. Wires ran over and into her and she looked small and pale. I didn't feel any less enraged. I took a step towards her, fully intending to shake her away, when Thomas appeared before me, inhumanly quick, and stood as a wall between us.

"Relax Harry. She isn't going anywhere. Go get a coffee, I'll sit right here. Clear. Your. Head."

He wasn't wrong. I wanted him to be wrong - I even tried to reason my way into believing he was wrong. But he was not wrong. I walked away.

When I returned half an hour later, after two coffees and walk around the block, Kalina was awake and thanking Thomas for saving her life. I hadn't thanked him yet. He saw me and bid her goodbye.

"You look better."

"Has she said anything to you?" I asked quickly. He sighed and shook his head. "Look, thank you."

He understood I meant for saving her and for bringing her out to me. He clapped me on the shoulder hard before walking away. The anger rose in me as I approached but it approached to a manageable level.

"Do you have something to tell me?" I asked, hurt making my words scornful. She looked immediately worried.

"I just woke up. I haven't even seen a doctor or a nurse yet -"

"Kalina what are you hiding from me?"

She looked annoyed now. "Nothing. What's the matter with you? I'm the one who got pulled out of the sea."

"Stop pretending!" I shouted, leaning on the end of the bed, my knuckles white as I gripped it. I felt myself shaking. I looked to Kalina to see a shield of ice fading away from in front of me.

"I want to see a doctor now."

I snatched her chart from her bed and tossed at her. She jumped.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" she yelled at me.

"When were you planning on telling me you were pregnant?" I demanded, loudly. Her face screwed up in disbelief.

"What? Who even said that? What the Hell Harry?"

I walked around the bed to point at the part of the chart that confirmed she was lying.

"Were you going to tell me at all?" I asked, looming over her as she looked at the chart. She picked it up in both hands and I could see it tremble. Her eyes closed and a hand moved over he mouth. Tears slid down her face.

"Now I want the truth." I hissed.

"Get away from me." she whispered.

"I am not going through _this_ again," I started. A small pulse of force made me take a step back. She had extended her arm and with her will, pushed me back.

"What are you talking about?" I barely heard her say.

"Maggie." I spat. "Her mother disappeared and never told me Maggie existed until someone kidnapped her."

"That's awful." she breathed before her tone changed dramatically and she said, "But that doesn't give you the right to come in here and treat me like some kind of villain! Get out. Get out! Get out!"

Machines blinked off. Automatic alarms sounded. I was thrown by her will to the opposite wall and the doctors and nurses appeared en mass to the rescue. I was no use right now. I left.


	15. Chapter 15

KALINA'S P.O.V.

Agatha sat with me in her arms on my couch. I wasn't ready to call my mum or dad yet. I had cried all night and I was still going while Agatha repeated herself one more time to me,

"You're doing the right thing, Kalina. Now isn't the time; for either of you. You hardly know him You're doing the responsible, mature thing and screw him for being such an ass hole when push came to shove."

"Bad choice of words."

"Sorry. I'm here for you, ducky, and you're mum and dad will be there for you, and your grandfather and everything will work out."

"I know."

But everything had been going so well. We were getting along, I was bonding with his goddamn daughter, and I was getting attached to his goddamn dog, and I had been to his goddamn island and I was starting to believe I was really getting somewhere with this one. I wanted my knight in shining armour already and it hurt that he had let me down so soon. Maybe it was for the best, but then maybe life was just sucky and I was doomed to suffer the short end of the stick time after time until I died. The door went.

"Maybe that's the delivery guy bringing us the duck pancakes he forgot." she said as she answered.

"Who are you?… You're not welcome here, fuck off… No I won't - Kalina!"

"Hi Harry." I said calmly as I opened the door wide enough for Agatha and I to stand in and be seen by him.

"Can I talk to you?" he said softly, looking sheepish. As he should have.

"No." Agatha scoffed.

"Agatha, I want to talk to him." I sighed, hating not backing her up as she backed me up. I had to speak with him though.

"I'll be back in two hours." she said as she lifted her purse, jacket and keys. She stormed down the hall and I invited Harry in.

"Have a seat, I'll get us some water." I said meekly as he entered. He did as he was told and I did as I promised. We sat on the couch and I burst into tears. I tried to control myself,

"I'm sorry, it's been…"

His arms were around me and I just sobbed for a little bit.

"I didn't know, I would have told you, I would have -"

"I'm sorry Kalina. I'm so sorry."

We repeated ourselves a lot, over each other until we realised we had nothing else we wanted the other to know and we became silent.

"How far along are you?"

"They guessed ten weeks."

"They guess pretty accurately nowadays."

"What are you doing here, Harry?"

"I need to explain why I got so angry before. I can't blame it on the Winter mantel and it's primal nature and how that makes me inclined to carry on my family line. I was hurt, Kalina, when I heard… about you. I was hurt like that when Susan called me eight years after she last saw me saying, '_they have our daughter'._ I did some seriously damaging things to save Maggie, including killing her mother. I was furious because I thought…"

"You thought I would do the same thing?"

He sighed.

"That's insane. No offence, I didn't know Susan, but it takes a real piece of work to neglect to tell the father of your child he _is _a father."

He closed his eyes and shut his eyes. "She wanted to keep Maggie safe from me."

"So safe she was kidnapped and lost her mother?"

"Being with me made Susan almost turn into a Red Court vampire. A man died in the most horrible fashion I have ever seen or imagined so I could live. It isn't a far stretch to think any child is safer the further it is from me."

"I'm not so arrogant to think I could raise someone on my own."

He bit his tongue. I didn't mean Susan personally but I think that's the way he took it.

"If…" I took a deep breath, "We hardly know each other Harry, if you hadn't found out before I did I'm not sure you would ever have known a baby ever existed."

He became ridged then.

"Don't get soft on me now. "

"Are you serious?"

"I don't have close relationships, Harry. I haven't had to interact with a kid since I _was_ a kid. I have lived in Chicago longer than any other place and my only friends are Agatha and my parents. My grandfather is my employer and only colleague. You're so lucky to have so many people who want to be with you and help you, and you are a good father. I'm… awkward and lonely. I would do more damage to a kid than you could.

"What is _wrong _with you?" he stood now. "I didn't just give _in_ to my daughter's pleas to have you out with us? I didn't just spend the afternoon explaining to her you didn't mean to stop her going to the beach! I wouldn't have let you near her if _any_ of that was true!"

I had nothing to say. He looked at me like I should have replied. He sighed and then he kneeled in front of me.

"You can't tell me we don't just… click. You can't tell me my own daughter doesn't love you and that our kid wouldn't love you too."

My throat started to tighten at his words. _Our kid._ Tears slipped free of me. I couldn't speak, I just blubbered in his arms. He eventually resolved to come back in a couple of days to see me. I spent an hour crying on the couch and when Agatha returned she had a bottle of wine in her hands.

"If nothing else it'll knock you out." she explained. I hugged that woman.


	16. Chapter 16

I was at work, pouring my heart and soul into every ridge of the six chairs I was working on. When I'm stressed I'm clumsy and I was covered in cuts and holes from removed splinters. I was sweating and I concentrated on the idea of the shower I was going to have when I got home. The bell of the store's door rang and I heard a dog's pads on the linoleum along with the footsteps of humans.

"Sorry, we don't allow dogs…" I started and trailed off when I saw Charity, Maggie and Mouse. I couldn't help the smile. "Except you, Mouse."

He sat and looked at me with a doggie grin, his tail wagging.

"Hi Kalina." Maggie smiled. "Dad said you were in the hospital. I would have visited."

"Is that why you're here now?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Charity said.

"Tea or coffee?" I asked, making an effort not to sigh.

"Tea please."

"How many coffee's in your sugar Maggie?" I heard her giggle as I walked away. "Come on back here," I called, "have a look around."

Maggie looked to the dolls my grandfather had been carving. Mouse lay just behind the counter, eyes shut and ears twitching, alert. Charity admired the four almost complete chairs.

"You're a carpenter?" she asked,

"Mostly. Some things you need bigger muscles for, but I make do. Sugar?"

"No. So Harry says you two are… not talking."

"Not much left to say." I elaborated as I passed her tea. I set a bowl of water by Mouse and I passed Maggie a mug of apple juice. I lifted my boiled water (I couldn't face flavours) and took one of the seats, indicating she do the same.

"He hasn't told us much, he just apologised for you not making it to the beach and explained about the water. Do you need someone to talk about it with?"

"I survived. So far I'm just glad for that."

"I think it's strange that you can spend three days together, then fall out when you make it to the hospital. If you had fallen out with you before you fell into the water, he wouldn't have come running so fast. In saying that, we _are_ talking about Harry Dresden. Still," she drummed her fingers on the mug, "how far along are you?"

Had I taken a sip from my mug I would have choked. My eyes darted to Maggie and back to Charity. Maggie was talking to Mouse and scratching his ear. He seemed blissful.

"Harry didn't say?"

"No."

"Should we be talking about this?"

"You need to talk to someone. I see things are happening quickly. Sometimes that's how He plans it."

"He? You mean God?"

I spied the crucifix on her neck. "My husband was one of His Knights. He has helped Harry before. It's how he ended up with a walking stick."

"I didn't know."

"He would make the same choices if he did it over again. My daughter helped save Maggie from Chichen Itza."

"I don't know what that is."

"Harry rescued Maggie from there when her life was at threat. It almost killed him."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm making a case for Maggie; for your baby. I see you're conflicted. I've seen many people in your position."

I felt my jaw clench but I let her go on.

"I am a mother of many. Maybe one day you will be too, but don't be a mother to no one. You're half way there with Maggie. She needs Harry to be with someone. She's pushed you both together in her own way, and for her to have her own flesh and blood? No one can heal her wounds but you can give her new strength. She can give you strength."

My eyes bubbled over. The pressure this woman was putting me under was too much for me to bear.

"Some people don't survive children. They separate and divorce and lie. That doesn't mean everyone gives up the fight. Why are you being so hard on yourself now?" she took my hand, "Look at you! I haven't seen Harry this happy ever. A baby is _never_ a bad thing. Okay?"

"Look," I said, struggling to breathe, "I'm sorry but I need to finish these chairs, sand them down, varnish them, you know… I'll come by when I can okay?"

She hugged me. I held on politely and held my breath. When they left I gave Maggie a quick cuddle and Mouse a quick clap, and I locked the door and put up the '_Closed_' sign on the door.

Harry appeared with a sandwich to go from Mac's for me. I invited him and he tossed it on the unit by the door before kissing me. I was tense at first, until my hormones recognised the physical intimacy and swamped my brain with oestrogen. I pulled him to my bed, kicking off my shoes, waiting for him to kick off his with our lips still dancing. I pulled him on top of me above the sheets of my bed. I pulled at his shirt until it was discarded. While he parted from me to free himself of his jeans, I freed myself of my bra and t-shirt. His lips came back to mine as I pulled off my jeans and then he slowed, moving to my neck and kissing me in an arc, from my collarbone, over my breast, across my stomach to the line of my underwear, back across my stomach to the un-kissed breast, over that to the other side of my collarbone, back to my lips.

Slowly, we moved against each other, rolling around and roaming with our hands over one another, growing more and more aroused and relaxed. I lay beneath him, having tugged away my underwear, waiting for him to take me, panting with anticipation. He obliged me and held me close as he moved inside of me. He was so gentle, so loving and sweet in his movements that I felt like he _saw_ me as a mother now. He _wanted_ to have a baby with me, he _wanted_ the chance to prepare to be a father and imagine his baby and tell people - the people he loved - something _good _and _normal_ was happening in his life.

As for me, was it so strange? I loved my family, tiny as it was, so why couldn't I add to it? My friends were having kids and getting married and being _adults_. I was an adult. I was someone's mother. They weren't fully formed yet, but they were there.

When Harry left the next morning, promising to call around for me the next day if not later, I picked up the appointment card with the family clinic I had been hiding. I called and cancelled the abortion.


	17. Chapter 17

"Well," I smiled as Harry came inside the shop, "since you weren't there, after breaking the first machine they had, I managed to get us this."

I produced the photograph with the doctor's writing at the back, marking the date, time, hospital, and estimated age of the foetus. He took it from me and stared for a bit as I grabbed my shoes and jacket and got ready to leave for the Carpenter's. He was still gawking at it, at last looking scared, when I made my way to the door to leave. I snatched it from him and sped ahead. He closed my door, the latch automatically clasping into place and locking us out, and jogged to catch me. He spun me around to kiss me and rest his forehead on mine. I started to remember he too was human behind all the tricks and anger.

I sat with Charity and Michael, accepting their congratulations as graciously as I could work out how to, as Harry sat outside with Maggie. She came to the door to the front room with Mr and Mrs Carpenter before he did and stood in front of me.

"Are you going to have my half brother or sister?"

I took a deep breath, ready for a tantrum before I said, "Yes."

"Can I pick its name?"

I was not prepared for that, I smiled and looked to Harry as he approached, looking relieved.

"I think your dad wants a turn at name picking."

She huffed briefly before compromising, "fine but if I think it's stupid it's not allowed."

Harry laughed. "Done."

"Congratulations, Maggie." Michael said, winking at Harry.

"I'm going to tell everybody." she said and skipped off to find the young Carpenters. Harry sat next to me, taking my hand in his.

"Who is next on the list to tell?" Michael asked.

"Mum, dad, grandfather, Agatha." I supplied. Harry continued it,

"Grandfather, Butters, Karren…"

The room seemed to shift in its seat.

"Karren?" I enquired.

"Complicated." Harry said, looking in the distance. I saw Charity's eyebrows rise and fall in agreement.

"Ex?" I carried on enquiring.

"Complicated." Michael nodded. He and Charity left then, and I looked to Harry who looked like he would try to avoid the subject.

"Spit it out."

"We… She has been one of my closest friends if not my closest friend in existence since I moved to Chicago. We danced around the idea of a relationship for a long time and it never actually came to anything. We kept getting closer and closer and then…"

"And then…?"

"I met you."

I felt smug and awful at once. Then sick. I kept my cool and sighed as I went to use the bathroom to be sick in. I was starting to theorise morning sickness only happened when you found out you were pregnant. In saying that, I had never had a problem finding my sea legs like I had on Thomas' boat before.


	18. Chapter 18

"Mum, dad, pop," I smiled as I sat down to lunch with them, "I'm pregnant, the father will be here in about half an hour, so order a stiff drink before he gets here. We wont order food without him. I have to use the bathroom."

I got up and pretended their faces were not paralysed by shock in my mind. The door opened and closed as I threw up. Morning sickness or anxiety I couldn't say. I knew in my gut it was my mother before she spoke.

"Kalina An?"

"Mum."

"Are you okay?"

"You know how it is." I said casually.

"Is this what you want?"

I took a few moments to gather myself before I answered: "Yes."

"And he's a good man?"

"Yes."

"Why don't I know about him them?"

"It's all happened really fast. It was a mistake and I… I couldn't… you know."

"How fast?"

"I met him three months ago? Four?"

"Fast. You don't say." I heard her sit down. "What is his name?"

I got out of the cubicle, knowing she wouldn't leave anytime soon. I rinsed out my mouth. "Harry, mum."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's a specialist with the forest commission." I lied, impressed with myself, "He specialises in the islands of lake Michigan."

"Sounds like he doesn't play well with others."

"Nitpick him at the table mum, okay?" I huffed before leaving. It wasn't often my mum that was the cynic in the family. My grandmother had been and since her death my mum was slowly turning into that guy. I was having my teenage spats with her in my late twenties.

When was I able to say _my late twenties?_

Harry shook my father's hand, my grandfathers, and kissed my mother's cheek before taking his seat. He rubbed my back as I sat back down before he took his seat. It was a nice cafe, looking over a busy shopping strip in the mall. The sounds below were drowned out by glass panes and the waiters all wore crisp white shirts. I only ever ate like this on birthdays and with my parents.

"So how old are you?" my grandfather asked Harry.

"Really pop?" I asked before Harry could answer. He smirked to himself,

"Fine, what do you do for a living?"

"Kalina told me you work for the forestry commission on the islands of Lake Michigan." my mum interrupted. "What's that like?"

"Long hours." Harry answered seamlessly.

"Do you have any other kids?" my grandfather accused.

"One. Maggie, she's ten." he turned to me, "I'm guessing you told them."

I shrugged my shoulders as I caught the attention of the approaching waiter, "It came up. Hi, how are you, we are _starving_."

Orders over with, my dad hadn't said a word. When I caught his eye he winked at me and I tried to stay calm as my grandfather tried to rattle Harry, and my mother snapped questions at him.

Harry powered through two pints of beer. My dad, in his wisdom, caught the waiter taking the empty glass from before Harry and instructed him to wait for the next round before the waiter was responsible for _making the poor man drunk in front of his in-laws._

"So Harry," he said in a friendly, welcoming manner, "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

Harry smiled, easing at last. "I, uh… I don't know."

"Do you want to double barrel the name or do you think this one," he indicated me with his fork, "will let you have your name a lone at the end?"

"I don't know that either."

"We haven't talked much past telling people what's going on." I interjected.

"And will you two move in together soon?"

"Dad." I cautioned.

"What are we meant to talk about, Kalina An? This is what happens when you get knocked up."

"You have a way with words there." I smiled. He winked.

"What em," Harry said making me weary, "What do you do? If you don't mind my asking?"

"I'm a writing consultant." my dad answered. "I did many jobs within the army and young, inexperienced writers seek my services."

"I'm sure you have a story or two of your own to tell."

"I do. One of the scarier stories is having her." he indicated me again with a fork. "You'll know all about that, though, with your daughter."

"Dad," I said gently, "Harry didn't know Maggie was born until she was eight."

"I'm sorry to hear that." my mum said and she was the mum I had known all through my childhood. A firm but compassionate woman with intimate knowledge of firearms. "It's Maggie, isn't it?" He nodded the affirmative, "What does Maggie make of Kalina An?"

And from then on the pace eased. At the nd of the lunch my mum got all bleary eyed and exclaimed, _a baby!_ before hugging us both goodbye. My father and grandfather said _congratulations_ with their handshakes to Harry and their kisses on the cheek to me. When they were gone I walked to the nearest pavement bench and plopped myself on it, letting out a long sigh of relief.


End file.
